Putting on some miles

After 13 years I'm back on my 650 Maxim and enjoying riding in the neighborhood. Put on over 300 mi without going further than 25 miles from the house. But I now remember why I bought a Venture back in '83, this Maxim is too small for L o n g rides. So yesterday I bought a Kawasaki 900LT and today I put over 200 miles on it, including over 35 mi on the Skyline Drive. It's the Best of both worlds. :lol:

 

I like that Kaw 900 LT. I have been interested in it mainly as a highway bike. How many miles do you get on a tank to reserve? And how does teh smoothness of the Maxim compare to the Kaw?

 

You don't have a reserve. You have a gas gauge like a car. ( 4.8 gal tank) I don't expect the MPG to be as good as the Maxim since it is a bigger engine, but should be in the forties. It has fuel injection, so no choke or carburator to mess with.

 

Fuel efficiency could possibly improve because a bigger motor doesn't need to turn as fast to get the same power. Fewer revolutions, less gas needed, thus fuel savings. I had this happen when I pulled my VW Rabbit 1.6 liter and stuffed a GTI 1.8 liter in. Improved my milage about 2-3 miles per gallon, not bad!

 

I regularly get 45 mpg on my 1100 cc Goldwing and have never gotten much more than 35 on my Seca 650. There's a lot more to mileage than displacement. Wind resistance at speed is really important. Looks like a great bike. Congrats!

Greg

 

Your correct Greg, there are other factors to consider. In my case, the body of the car didn't change, just the motor. With your experience, there is a world of difference between the bikes you mentioned. Strange but it's true, Wings are known for their efficiency. Good example, thanks for posting it!

 

After putting on over 700 miles on the Kawasaki, I find it averages right at 50 MPG; while I get 55 MPG on the 650 Maxim.

 

I find it hard to get 40mpg on my 750, there is always some smart kid in their pimped 1990 Honda CRX that want to make my ride a little bit more fun